Staying in the EU is vital says councillor

The Liberal Democrat candidate for Rutherglen has called on all the pro- EU candidates to put party differences behind them when it comes to Europe.

Councillor Robert Brown believes staying in the EU was “vital for the future of Scotland and the United Kingdom.”

But he warned voters could be put off by political grandstanding and called for unity on the issue of Europe.

He said: “Nicola Sturgeon has been muddying the waters with her repeated call for a second referendum on independence if the UK voted to leave the European Union.

“She would be far better to concentrate on helping to make sure that does not happen.

“Her constant speculation on what might happen if the vote went the wrong way is damaging to the campaign – indeed she might be described as talking down the European cause.

“Apart from any other considerations, the idea of Scotland staying in the EU while the rest of Britain came out – or indeed the other way round – does not stand up to scrutiny. Scotland sells far more goods and services to the rest of Britain than we do to the whole of the rest of the world combined.

“The European Union has helped to bring peace to a continent torn apart by two world wars and it has built a strong union allowing free trade and free movement. With economic, social and security benefits the European Union is good for the UK.

“I hope all political parties in Rutherglen will join me on this and put aside other issues for the European campaign.”

Labour’s James Kelly and the SNP’s Clare Haughey will be backing EU membership.

But Conservative candidate Taylor Muir told the Reformer he was only focussed on the Scottish election and would not be campaigning on Europe until after May 5.

The anti-EU UKIP have never contested the Rutherglen seat but have experienced a slight increase in their vote share at the past three general elections.